Bartolomeo

Bartolomeo enables the hosting of external payloads in low-Earth orbit, on-board the International Space Station ISS. Application areas include (but are not limited to) Earth observation, robotics, material science or astrophysics; payloads can be hosted for institutional and private organizations alike. Operated aboard the ISS in low-Earth-orbit (altitude: ~400 km), the Bartolomeo platform offers the ISS’ only unobstructed view on planet Earth and outer space.

Easy access to the ISS

Named after the younger brother of Christopher Columbus, the Bartolomeo platform is attached to the European Columbus Module and operated by Airbus Defence and Space.

With its All-in-One Mission Service, the company provides all mission-related elements and can even assist when it comes to building the actual payload.

Operating a space mission on the Bartolomeo platform is a highly cost and time-efficient way of bringing a payload into space. Customers benefit from Airbus Defence and Space’s 10-year experience in integrating and operating payloads on the ISS: Customers fully concentrate on their individual Space mission, without needing to develop a complex space system or a deep understanding of the ISS.

An all-in-one mission service

Airbus Defence and Space’s All-in-One Mission Service comprises all mission elements into one commercial contract (mission preparation, payload launch, payload on-orbit installation, commissioning, operation, payload data processing and delivery), in order to provide the customer a reliable integrated mission solution. The offer includes the option to return the entire payload or a selected sample to Earth.

This customer-oriented service lets the user fully concentrate on their scientific/ technological objectives, without the need to worry about the surrounding environment, to develop a complex Space system to carry their payload, or accomplish a deep understanding of the ISS as such.

Airbus Defence and Space takes care of the launch operations

… the payload‘s transfer to the Bartolomeo platform

… and its installation (via a robot)

Launch opportunities are available on every servicing mission to the ISS, i.e. approximately every three months (average). Payloads can be launched pressurized or unpressurized; active cooling is available during launch and in Space.

Easy mission preparation: Payload sizes, interfaces, preparation steps and integration processes are largely standardized and hence, lead times can be as short as 12 months.

Highly Cost-Efficient: Thanks to the low-cost mission approach, customers can save significantly compared to traditional mission cost. This opens up opportunities for a variety of new types of applications and makes Bartolomeo ideal for R&D missions, e.g. technology demonstrations.